Marking-stamp.



Patented Ian. 30, I900.

No. 642,367. I

H. B. RAY, W. P. PHILLIPS &. W. E. PATCI'IIN. MARKING STAMP.

\ApplicB-tion filed July 11, 1899.) (No Model.)

WITNESSES- arren STATES PATENT HERBERT B. RAY, WALTER P. PHILLIPS, AND \VALTER E. PATCHIN, OF

BRID GEPORT,

CONNECTICUT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,367, dated January 30, 1900.

Application filed July 11, 1899. Serial No. 723,500. (No model.)

To all whom it may can/0cm.

Be it known that we, HERBERT B. RAY, WALTER P. PHILLIPS, and WALTER E. PAT- CHIN, citizens of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, county of Fairfield, State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Marking-Stamp, of which the following is a specification. 7

Our invention has for its object to provide a simple, durable, and inexpensive markingstamp which shall be so constructed as to permit convenient removal of the type-cylinder from the frame, in which the type-cylinder shall be provided with a movable typesleeve, and in which the inking rollers shall be above the type-cylinder and wholly cased in, so that not only are these rollers protected from dust, but all danger of the operator getting ink upon his fingers when handling the device in the ordinary requirements of use is done away with.

With these ends in view we have devised the novel marking-stamp of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, reference characters being used to designate the several parts.

Figure 1 is an elevation of our novel mark ing-stamp; Fig. 2, an end elevation thereof; Fig. 3, a central longitudinal section, and Fig. 4 is a perspective of the outer band or sleeve of the type-sleeve detached.

A indicates the frame; B, the handle; C, the type-cylinder; D, the type-sleeve; E, the inking-rollers F, a spring-carrier for the inking-rollers, and G a case which incloses the inking-rollers.

The frame may be of any ordinary or preferred construction, but is preferably a strip of metal bent to substantially a U shape. The inking-rollers also may be of any ordinary or preferred construction. The shafts 10 of the inking-rollers are journaled in cars 11, formed upon the spring-carrier, the spring action of the carrier holding the inking-rollers closely in contact with the type-sleevein use.

The special manner in which the frame, handle, inking-rollers, and case are assembled is likewise not of the essence of our invention. We have illustrated in the drawings a simple and inexpensive mode of assembling these parts by which the carrier, with the inking-rollers, the case therefor, and the handle, are all secured to the frame by means of a rod 12, having ahead 13 at its inner end, which engages the inner face of the carrier. This rod extends through the carrier, case, frame, and handle and is provided at its outer end with a threaded portion,which is engaged by a nut 14:. The arms 15 of the frame are provided at their ends with slots 16, the upper end of'one or both slots being ordinarily made angular. The type-cylinder C is mounted to turn on a shaft 17, the ends of which lie in and extend beyond slots 16 and engage openings 18 in spring-plates 19, which are secured to the outer faces of the arms of the frame. One of the openings 18 must necessarily be made angular. to receive a corresponding angular end of the shaft, so as to prevent the shaft from turning. In the drawings we have shown one end only of the shaft as made angular; but this is immaterial. One end of the shaft and the corresponding opening must be made angular, and either end or both ends of the shaft maybe made angular. The type-cylinder is retained at its normal position and is returned to its normal position aftereaoh use in either direction by means of a spring 20, one end of which is attached to the type-cylinder and the other to the shaft, so that in use the tension of the spring is tightened, causing it to return the typecylinder to its normal position as soon as it is raised after use. This construction,whereby the type-cylinder is held in normal position solely by the spring, enables the said cylinder to be rolled forward or back, according to the wishes of the user, there being no positive stop to interfere with such freedom of movement.

The type-sleeve D consists of an inner sleeve 21, outside of which is a rubber type-strip 22, which in turn is held firmly in place upon the inner sleeve by an outer band or sleeve 23. The special construction of the type-cylinder is not of the essence of our invention. It is desirable, however, that the type-sleeve may be readily detached from the cylinder and retain its cylindrical form when detached. Said type-sleeve therefore comprises a yielding type-carrying member, which in the form shown consists of the type-strip 22 and a stiifening-sleeve therefor, whichsleeve in the form illustrated consists of the member 21 and also preferably the outer band or sleeve 23. In order to insure that the inner sleeve shall not turn upon the type-cylinder, it being necessary, as will be more fully explained, for the type-sleeve to pass on and off the typecylinder freely, we provide a suitable stop 24, in the present instance a lug or pin, extending from the periphery of the type-cylinder at one end, which in the assembled position engages a slot 25 in inner sleeve 21 of the type-sleeve. The rubber type-strip may be secured to the inner sleeve in any ordinary or preferred manner-as, for example, it may be cemented thereto or it may be simply drawn tightly about the inner sleeve and the ends stitched together. In this case the outer sleeve will preferably be formed of a strip of metal having an opening 28, as hereinafter described, the ends of said strip being soldered or otherwise secured together after said strip has been placed around the typestrip 22. If the outer sleeve is a complete cylinder, the type-strip may be first slipped inside thereof, with the type projecting through the opening 28, and then the whole slipped over and cemented or otherwise secured on the sleeve 21. The characters,which are indicated by 20, extend above the surface of the strip.

27 denotes guards upon the type -sleeve, which are the same height as the characters and extend entirely around the type-sleeve, so that no portion of the type-sleeve except the characters and the guards can come in contact with the article that is being marked.

It should be noted (see Fig. 3) that the inking-rollers are shorter than the type-sleeve and that the guards lie outside of the inkingrollers, so that in practice no ink will get upon the guards, and as no portion of the type -'stri p between the guards except the characters can come in contact with the article to be marked it follows that our novel marking-stamp in addition to being perfectly clean to handle is also neat in use, as no mark will be made except by the characters, and consequently there is no danger of inking articles with which the stamp comes in contact, and impressions of the characters will be sharp and clear.

The guards are not necessarily formed upon the rubber type-strip,but may,if preferred, be formed either upon the inner sleeve 21 or upon the outer band or sleeve 23. This outer band or sleeve may be made in any suitable manner-as, for example, it may be made from a strip of metal having an opening 28 large enough to permit the characters to project through,the ends of the strip being soldered or otherwise secured together to form a sleeve, as hereinbefore described.

It will be obvious that the only portion of our novel marking-stamp that is subject to appreciable wear in use is the type-strip and that should this become worn it may be readily removed and a new one put on by removing the outer sleeve. As a matter of fact, however, it takes an enormous amount of hard usage to appreciably affect the sharpness of the impression made by the characters. By making the type-sleeve as a whole so very inexpensive and by making the type-cylinder conveniently removable from the frame and the type'sleeve conveniently removable from the type-cylinder by constructing it so that it will be permanently cylindrical in shape, so that it may be slipped off from or applied endwise to the cylinder, we make it perfectly practicable for a user to have but a single stamp and to use with it as many typesleeves as his business may require. The removal of atype-sleeve and the substitution of another in its place requires but a moments time and as no mechanical skill is. required is easily within the ability of unskilled laborers. This ready detachability of the typesleeve from the cylinder, whereby one of a plurality of such sleeves may be substituted for another, is mainly due to the fact that the sleeves are perfectly cylindrical in shape when removed from the cylinder. In other words, they retain their cylindrical form, so that they can be easily slipped onto the cylinder endwise or detached therefrom.

The operation is briefly as follows: The device is of course self-inkin g. To mark an article, the operator places the characters upon the type-sleeve in contact therewith and rolls the type-sleeve thereon in either direction by means of the handle, the spring within the type-cylinder returning the latter to its normal position the instant the device is lifted. When it is desired to change the type-sleeve, the operator moves one of the spring-plates l9 outward, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, to permit the shaft and type-cylinder, and with it the type-sleeve, to be removed, the ends of the shaft lying, as already ex plained, in the slots 16 in the arms of the frame and engaging the openings 18 in the spring-plates. Havingremovedthetype-cylinder, the operator simply slips the typesleeve endwise off the cylinder and slips another type-sleeve into place thereon, the engagement of the lug or pin on the type-cylinder with the slot in the type-sleeve preventing the latter from turning on the cylinder. To replace the type-cylinder and type-sleeve in the frame, the operator simply places the ends of the shaft in slots 16 and presses the type-cylinder inward, spring-plates 19 yielding as the shaft is pressed inward until the ends of the shaft pass into the openings 18, thereby locking the shaft and type-cylinder, with the type-sleeve thereon, in place in the frame.

Having thus described our invention, we claim 1. In a rotary hand-stamp, the combination with a frame, of a removable type-cylinder and a removable type-sleeve carried by the type-cylinder, and comprising a yielding type-carrying member and a stiffening-sleeve therefor, said type-sleeve being permanently cylindrical in shape when removed from the cylinder whereby said sleeve may be readily detached from or applied to the cylinder endwlse.

2. The type-sleeve D comprising an inner sleeve 21, a type-strip 22 outside of said sleeve and means for securing the typestrip in place, said type-sleeve being permanently cylindrical in shape whereby it is adapted to be readily moved endwise onto or from the cylinder of a rotary hand-stamp.

3. The type-sleeve D comprising an inner sleeve 21, outside of said sleeve a type-strip 22 having characters and outside of the typestrip an outer band or sleeve having an opening through which the characters project.

4. The type-sleeve D comprising an inner sleeve 21, outside of said sleeve a type-strip 22 having characters and outside of the typestrip a band having an opening through which the characters project, oneof said parts being provided with guards of uniform height with the characters substantially as shown for the purpose specified.

5. In a rotary hand-stamp, the combina tion With a frame and inking-rollers, of a removable type-cylinder and a removable typesleeve carried by the type-cylinder and provided with guards 27, said type-sleeve being permanently cylindrical in shape when removed from the cylinder whereby said sleeve may be readily detached from or applied to the cylinder endwise.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in presence of witnesses.

HERBERT B. RAY. WALTER P. PHILLIPS. WALTER E. PATOHIN. Witnesses to signatures of Ray and Phillips:

J. RICHARD JOHNSON, R. L. FRENCH. Witnesses to signature of Patchin:

A. M. WOOSTER, S. W. ATHERTON. 

